Making Concessions to Hamas?

Israel this week made an astonishing concession to Hamas, with barely a peep of protest to be heard anywhere.

Despite Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s previous threats, Israel has now agreed not to interfere in Palestinian elections even if Hamas is allowed to take part.

As Yediot Aharonotreported the other day, “Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz tells U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Israel would not interfere with Palestinian elections even if Hamas participates, backing off earlier threats.”

The absurdity of this stance was made lethally clear when Hamas took credit for the murder of a 20-year old Israeli soldier on Wednesday, the very same day that Mofaz was giving the terrorist group a free pass to participate in the upcoming Palestinian balloting.

And so, we are back to the old pattern of Palestinians killing Jews, and Israel responding with capitulation, cowardice and weakness.

The government’s handling of this issue is an utter and complete disgrace, if only because it suggests that armed terrorist groups such as Hamas can be considered legitimate participants in democratic processes.

At this rate, don’t be surprised in a few months’ time if Israel tries to start opening talks with the terror group. With a government as depraved as this one, it seems that just about anything is possible.